Processes for making certain bicyclic compounds and intermediates have been described in various publications, such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,684,727; 4,628,055; 4,680,298; 4,492,702; 4,452,800; in Japanese Patent Disclosure No. 11,649; in European Patent Application No. 0127135; and in the article "Phosphorous Pentoxide in Organic Synthesis, III - A New Synthesis of Pyrido [2,3-d]-pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones, O. Andersen and E. Pederson Liebigs Ann. Chem. 1982, 1012-1015. It would be desirable to provide processes for preparing bicyclic compounds and their intermediates whose yields are as good as or better than methods previously taught. It would also be desirable to provide a process for preparing said bicyclic compounds and intermediates which requires even fewer steps than methods previously taught.